In a ruling that was immediately challenged by both prosecutors and the defense, a federal judge today lifted thedeath sentence from Mumia Abu-Jamal for the 1981 murder of Philadelphia Police Officer Daniel J. Faulkner. Inordering that Abu-Jamal be given a new death-penalty hearing within six months or be sentenced to life in prison,U.S. District Judge William Yohn also affirmed the death row inmate’s conviction on a charge of first-degree murder.The court order overturned the sentencing portion of Abu-Jamal’s trial but refused Abu-Jamal’s request for a newtrial, upholding his 1982 conviction on first-degree murder charges. The ruling can be appealed to the U.S. 3rdCircuit Court of Appeals.

The European Parliament has just awarded Nurit Peled-Elhanan, who is a lecturer in language and education at HebrewUniversity, the Sakharov prize for her advocacy for a peace in the Occupied Territories. Peled-Elhanan began a columnfor Yeediot Ahronot, Israel’s largest circulation daily, with these words:

“Dylan Thomas wrote a war poem entitled "And Death Shall Have No Dominion." In Israel, it does. Here death governs:the government of Israel rules over a dominion of death. So the most astonishing thing about yesterday’s terroristattack in Jerusalem and all similar attacks is that Israelis are astonished.

Stories

In a Democracy Now! special, we look at the acclaimed Broadway musical "Fun Home," which swept the Tony Awards last month. Composer Jeanine Tesori and lyricist Lisa Kron made history as the first female duo to win a Tony Award for Best Original Score. "Fun Home" is also the first-ever Broadway musical to feature a lesbian protagonist. The musical is based on the 2006 best-selling graphic memoir by Alison Bechdel, "Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic." The memoir is a poignant exploration of family, memory, first love,...

A stunning indictment has been handed down in Cincinnati, focusing attention again on police killings of people of color. This is a start for accountability and justice. Cleveland should pay attention. As the thousand people gathered there last weekend said clearly, “Black Lives Matter.”

Editions

Democracy Now!

Follow

Support Independent News

Democracy Now! is a 501(c)3 non-profit news organization. We do not accept funding from advertising, underwriting or government agencies. We rely on contributions from our viewers and listeners to do our work. Please do your part today.